[Solved-Workaround] Page numbering with leading zeros

[sherbert]

I want to enter a uniform format of page numbering into the header space of my bundle of exhibits which is to be exhibited to my deponent's affidavit, ie. "JJJnnn" where J=deponent's initials and n=page-number.
Eg. "I exhibit the agreement at pages SMM001 - SMM010".
I can do the "SMM" part in the header readily enough, of course. I just add these 3 characters of text immediately before the page-numbering field.
I have seen Acknak's 2007 answer elsewhere, not immediately to hand, that one can increment a variable and format the result with leading zeros. That solution calls for the manual insert of the variable field at [every page in what is now a 300 page exhibit.] [edited] I'd rather not.
I have searched this and other forums for 'page numbering leading zeros' (no results) while 'leading zeros' returns solutions for Calc documents, eg. 26592. I know how Office handles leading zeros in Calc, thanks.
I see Acknak offered a solution for removing leading zeros. I do not want to do that, either.
I can do without leading zeros but my document will not look as sharp, IMHO.
Is it perhaps the case that leading zeros in page numbering remain a to-be-hoped-for future feature of the marvellous Writer app?

[acknak]

Sorry, this is something Writer just doesn't provide for. The page number field is completely different from the other numeric fields which work with a number format.

The only workaround I can think of is to handle it the same way you propose to handle the rest of the page numbers: manually add the zeroes. This would require a separate page style for page with different numbers of zeroes but even for a 300-page document, that's only two extra page styles.

The one difficulty with that is that I don't see a good way to switch page styles. The only way to switch at some arbitrary place in the text is to add a manual page break. You can do that easily enough but it has to happen at a paragraph boundary so there may be some empty space on the page where the break is.

[RoryOF]

My thought on this (and I haven't worked it out in detail) would be to use a conditional field where the "SMM" prefix is "SMM0" if page/paragraph number is greater than 10 and SMM00 if page/paragraph number less than 10. But to be honest, one would hand edit the final document quicker than working out the detail of the above.

[acknak]

The problem there is that Writer does not make the page number field available for any kind of formula or condition. As I say, it's a bizarre design that the page number field is completely different than other fields.

You can't even manually edit the numbers--they don't exist in the document; they're generated as needed.

I don't know if it's possible to use a regular variable in the header/footer and have it increment each time. That might be worth a try.

Edit: PS:

Nope. Formulas in a header/footer are not re-calculated for each page so the value never changes.

[RoryOF]

I did once use a variable to count and number columns, but I've forgotten how I did it. I should write these things down! Writing something else now, so no time to think of what I did.

[sherbert]

Thanks, gentlemen, your thoughts are gratefully received, even if between the greatest minds in the known universe the problem ranks with Fermat.

[sherbert]

WORK AROUND: Thanks Acknak, your new page styles suggestion works for me.

My context is that I am using the marvellous pdftk (PDF Tool Kit) app developed by the ever-helpful Sid Steward of Texas. His pdftk features a stamping function where a pdf file containing just page-numbers in the header space (for example) can be 'stamped' onto another file of content, eg, my bundle of exhibits.
I created 3 page styles based on the Default page style, called 'multistamp pages 1 to 9', 'multistamp pages 10 to 99' and 'multistamp pages 100+' .
In the first I add fixed text 'SMM 00' before a page-numbering field. In the second I use 1 less leading zero, ie 'SMM 0' and in the third no leading zeros at all, ie. 'SMM '.

I can Insert a Manual Break, Page Break, Style 'multistamp pages 10 to 99' (no change to page-number) at the appropriate place, ie. at the end of page 9. Ditto at 99 for the third page Style.

This results in a document with leading zeros on the page numbers. I convert that to pdf and Sid's marvellous app does the rest.

Thanks to the forum and its diligent contributors
SH

[acknak]

Nice! Thanks for posting the follow-up info.